The Secretary General Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) Hon. Haji Ramadhan Mugalu has appealed to the Ministry of Education and Sports to recruit more Muslim teachers during the upcoming massive recruitment exercise.
He was addressing over 500 registered but not recruited Muslim teachers during a consultative meeting held today at the UMSC Headquarters Old Kampala.
He said the government is expected to advertise about 3000 jobs in the education sector in the near future, noting that the excuse that Muslims have no qualifications is now out dated because UMSC has an inventory of over 1000 Muslims who are qualified to occupy different positions in the education sector.
“We challenge any one who claims that Muslims are not qualified to look at our data base. We have more than enough” Hon. Mugalu noted.
He said UMSC through its department of education has embarked on an advocacy campaign aimed at breaking the tradition of sidelining Muslim professionals in government jobs by having all qualified Muslim teachers registered, recruited into government and promoted.
“UMSC is your home, we are here to serve you and lobby for you” Hon. Mugalu told the teachers. He however urged them to be organised and disciplined in whatever action they take.
He also encouraged the teachers to harness the growing opportunities in the UMSC structures.
The UMSC Secretary for Education Shk. Juma Bakhit Cucu called upon the education ministry to not only train but employ or deploy Muslim teachers.
“There are many trained and qualified Muslim teachers who are not on government payroll. Many of those on payroll are not promoted. We are saying this must end” Shk. Bakhit told the teachers noting that;
“It is impossible for the education ministry to post a Muslim Headteacher in a non Muslim school but very possible for it to post a non Muslim headteacher in a Muslim school”.
Sheikh Bakhit also expressed concern over the small number of Muslim teachers heading public schools and the poor state of government aided Muslim schools compared to those under other faiths.
“This is the reason we are mobilising all qualified Muslim teachers to mobilise their colleagues and apply for jobs in the education sector. My office will support them as much as it can”.
The meeting was also addressed by Haji Kateregga Namuguzi – the Chairman of the UMSC Education Committee, Haji Kayongo Ahmad Nyago – the UMSC Electoral Commission Chairman and Mr. Ali Muhamad Aluma – the UMSC Secretary for Social Services.
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